Image: The 14 Citadis trams will be operated on Cuenca's 10km tramway, which is scheduled to open in 2015. Credit: Alstom Transport.
CITA Cuenca will also be responsible for the electrification, power supply and system integration on the city's 10km tramway line, which is currently in development and will cover 20 stations.
The new line, Ecuador's first tramway system, will open in 2015 and is expected to transport around 120,000 passengers a day.
Alstom will deliver its APS3 catenary-free power system to preserve the historic heritage of the city, which has been recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The power supply to the trams will be provided through a third rail embedded in the ground between the running tracks.
The power supply to the trams will be provided through a third rail embedded in the ground between the running tracks.
Following completion, Cuenca will be the first city to operate a catenary-free tram in the Americas; the system has already been in service in many French cities such as Bordeaux, Reims, Angers and Orleans.
"The new line, Ecuador's first tramway system, will open in 2015 and is expected to transport around 120,000 passengers a day."
The catenary-free tram system will also be used in Tours, France, and in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Alstom Transport senior vice president in Latin America Michel Boccaccio said that the recent order will help the company show other Latin American countries that similar projects can be developed in their cities.
"This project and our Citadis will improve the urban mobility of Cuenca, home to about 500,000 inhabitants, with one of the cleanest, most efficient and most comfortable means of public transportation," Boccaccio said.
Alstom's 33m-long Citadis tram is capable of accommodating around 300 passengers and its low floor and wide doors provide easy access for passengers with reduced mobility.
All Citadis trams and the infrastructure components will be produced at the company's French facilities at La Rochelle, Ornans, Vitrolles and Saint Ouen.